𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛 ✔

𝟏𝟎. 𝐀 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃

When Cara and Aiden got to the back of the diner a couple hours later, the waitress from earlier was already aiting. She looked antsy, but not in a suspicious way, Cara noticed.

"So, what was so important you couldn't just tell us in the restaurant?" Aiden asked as we near the spot.

"It wasn't anything important. I don't want to lose my job," the waitress said, giving Aiden a side glare.

Keeping the conversation on track, I said, "How are you going to help us, anyway?"

"My father was taken by the gang, but when he returned, he was gone in a week. Dead. They put that - that horrible disease on him. He looked....like a - like a - he kept itching and -" the waitress turned away without finishing her sentence.

Cara felt a pang in her heart. Hot tears welled up in her eyes, and she wasn't sure if they were from anger or confusion or or sadness or bitterness or annoyance. She felt like she could cry out and scream and sing all at the same time.

The clouds closed in on her, yet the sky was clear as midnight.

Aiden looked at Cara, she could feel his gaze.

"What does this have to do with you?" the waitress was speaking again.

Her voice sounds like a knife, yet Cara barely heard her.

Aiden stretched out a hand, ignoring the girl. Cara took three deep breaths and took his hand, nodding to reassure me that everything was okay.

Everything came crashing down on her at this moment, yet Cara couldn't feel a scratch.

Why did she feel like she was the one who killed the girl's father, even though she wasn't even there?

"....Cara has..." Cara felt Aiden's stare on her again. "Cara..."

Cara's head snapped up, her body shaking as she felt livid.

When she speak, my voice was calm, but shaking. "I have that horrible disease your father died from. I'm the reason he's dead."

Cara felt as if her knees were on the ground, yet she was up on her feet, not a single pebble of dirt on her jeans.

"Cara..." Aiden reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

Cara stiffened, and he recoiled his hand, but instead gripped her arm.

"Cara, listen to me. You didn't kill her father, okay? This isn't your fault."

Cara looked away, the fire in her eyes dying, being replaced with cold, salty water.

"Can someone tell me what is going on?" the girl's matter-of-fact voice rang out again.

Cara looked up, seeing Aiden glaring at the waitress.

"It's a sensitive subject for Cara," he said, his voice thick.

"I can't help you if I don't know what I'm doing," replied the waitress rather bluntly.

Aiden gave her a firm look, and he opened his mouth to retaliate when Cara spoke up, her voice silvery. "No. Aiden, it's fine."

He looked at her, surprised. "Cara..." He ran a hand through tangled hair.

Cara again brushed this off. "She needs to know. She can't help if she doesn't know." She turned to address the girl. "My father, Hylord James, did something to the leader of the gang that murdered your father. He's the reason they exist, and he's the reason they are inflicting my disease on people at murderous lengths. That's why it is my fault. It's my father's fault."

Cara felt as vulnerable as a hummingbird with a broken wing, yet as powerful as a bald eagle.

The girl looked shocked.

"Thank you, for telling me the truth. It's all the more reason to help you. I want to put an end to the cruel things the Itch Gang is doing. I want to bring them to justice. I will help you."

Cara breathed a sigh of relief, hating herself for appearing emotional in front of the stranger. Despite what she was feeling earlier, however, having just another person on my side did wonders.

"We go to Roseboro private school near here. We can meet somewhere on weekends or when we have time to discuss things," Cara continued, talking business to mask her budding emotions.

"Got it," the girl nodded. "I go to Hannan University not far away. I'll try to keep in touch often with meeting times and dates."

They exchanged phone numbers.

"One last thing," Aiden said before she left. "What's your name?"

"Taelyn," replied she, "Taelyn Scott."

And then she was gone.

Aiden looked at Cara, an intense look in his eyes that she couldn't quite explain. He laces his fingers in hers.

He's done that a lot of times before.

But this time was different.

In a way Cara couldn't quite explain.